Constanza, Dominican Republic (Apr 2026) - Service Trip Recap
Dates: April 25 - May 3, 2026
Location: Constanza, Dominican Republic
This trip to the Dominican Republic brought together a team from several different states to serve alongside Seed to Sower Ministries. Throughout the week, the team served as teacher aides, supported sports ministries, connected with children and families in the community, and helped with creative projects and special events at the school. The week was filled with opportunities to build relationships, serve others, and create unforgettable memories together.
Take a look at our latest team’s trip to the DR below! ⬇️
Day 1
It was a big travel day, with the team meeting in Miami from several different states. Since everyone knew each other from different chapters of life, it was especially meaningful to be together in person and travel the final leg of the trip as a group. ✈️
Once they landed in Santiago, the group moved through customs in record time and stopped at a roadside restaurant to enjoy delicious Dominican food, including plantains, rice, beans, and chicken. From there, they made the long, winding trek up the gorgeous mountain to Constanza, where the team had the chance to connect about the week ahead, unpack, and explore the house where they are staying. 🍽️🇩🇴
Along the way, the team gave a ride to an incredibly talented boy from the baseball ministry who was preparing to try out for the Yankees the next day. Getting to know him during the drive was a special part of the journey. ⚾️🧢
To close out the day, the team spent time reflecting on the long travel experience before enjoying a home-cooked meal with a couple from their partnering ministry in Constanza. 💚💙
Day 2
The team started the day with a quick run around town before enjoying a delicious breakfast of eggs and fresh fruit. After breakfast, they visited the school and the Ark for a tour and the opportunity to meet some of the children. ✨
Later, the group headed to a waterfall, where they spent time cliff jumping and swimming. They also hiked to the top of the waterfall to take in the view and had the chance to chat with some tourists from France. Afterward, the team enjoyed a lunch of leftovers before attending church at the school with the Ark kids. 💙
The afternoon included a fun game of bingo with the children before the team returned home for a supper of rice, beans, fried plantains, pork, lemonade, and fresh mango. To end the day, the group sorted donations and spent meaningful time reflecting together as a team. 🫶
Day 3
The team began the day with a lifting session at a local gym before making breakfast together, which included eggs, fruit, cereal, yogurt, and local honey. After breakfast, they headed to the school, where they split up to serve as teacher assistants in English, physics, and kindergarten classes. 🍽️📚
During recess, the team introduced the game of spikeball, quickly leading to multiple games with students across the playground. Lunch at the school included egg salad and fried rice, followed by kickball, helping in afternoon classes, and ending the school day with a competitive game of volleyball. 🏐
Later in the day, the team welcomed their final member before visiting the Divino Niño statue together. They then returned to the school to assist with the boys’ soccer practice, where several team members jumped into an intense game alongside the kids. ⚽️
The evening included dinner back at the team house, daily reflections together, and a trip to a favorite local ice cream shop to end the night. 🍦
Day 4
The team started the morning at the school, continuing to serve as teacher aides in kindergarten, English, science, and math classes. Throughout the day, they helped with tutoring and worked on crafts for the teachers, including card making, a solar system project, banners, and treasure chests. 📚🌞
For lunch, the team enjoyed beans, rice, and chicken before spending time with the kindergarteners playing hand-clapping games and thumb wars. 🙌
After school, the group visited a local farmer’s market and then headed to the baseball ministry, where they listened to a message about guarding your heart from Proverbs 4:23.They also spent time with the kids and distributed 88 San Francisco Giants hats. 🧢
Later in the evening, the team visited a local neighborhood and spent time with a mother and her five children, asking questions, talking together, and praying over their family. 🙏
The day concluded with a team dinner outside featuring rice, beans, chicken, plantains, and strawberry juice. 🍓
Day 5
Because of work commitments, this was one team member’s last day in the Dominican Republic, so the group started the morning with a special send-off breakfast featuring chocolate chip pancakes made by the team’s chef. 🥞
Back at the school, the team got to work creating a backdrop for Día Internacional de la Danza (International Day of Dance). One of the team captains used her artistic talents to draw silhouettes of dancers while the rest of the group painted musical notes and a large banner. Meanwhile, Executive Director Diego spent time tutoring students one-on-one and preparing to step into a math teacher role the following day.
The team later enjoyed a delicious meal of meatballs, salad, fried yucca, fruit, and tamarind juice with one of the families at the Ark. During lunch, they also learned more about what it looks like to serve as a host parent at the Ark. Afterward, the group attended the school’s International Dance Day performances and watched the students showcase their talents. 💃🏻🕺🏽
Later in the day, the team returned to the Ark, where one team member baked her famous pumpkin muffins for the kids while the rest of the group played games with them. Heavy afternoon rain eventually sent everyone under a gazebo, where the team and children continued playing ball games together until the weather eased up. The evening wrapped up back at the team house with dinner and meaningful conversations about the Seed to Sower mission over smoothies, coffee, and churros. ☕️
Day 6
The day began with a mix of activities, as some team members headed to a local gym while others enjoyed a slower morning before everyone met at the school. There, the team continued serving as teacher aides by making signs and posters, while Executive Director Diego stepped in to substitute math classes for three different grade levels. 📚
The team shared lunch with the students before school dismissed early for a holiday. After finishing their projects, the group received several heartfelt thank-yous and goodbyes from the staff at the school and the Ark.
The afternoon included interactive jump rope games, spikeball, and soccer with the Ark kids. When the rain rolled in, the team returned home for a quick cereal snack and some team bonding while learning the game Spot It. 🙌
Later, the group headed back to the school for the girls basketball program, where they participated in drills and a scrimmage with the girls before teaching them how to play “Knock Out,” which quickly became a favorite. The team returned home with full hearts to enjoy a delicious supper of beans, rice, pork, plantains, avocado, and fresh passion fruit juice. 🏀🍽️
To close out the evening, the team played more Spot It, worked on thank-you cards and gifts for the ministry staff who supported them throughout the week, and formed a fun assembly line to prepare sandwiches for the little league baseball team’s breakfast the next morning. The day ended with their nightly reflections together. 💚⚾️
Day 7
We got up early and piled into a big bus and a van with the parents and the baseball ministry little league baseball team of Constanza! 🚌
We made the 2 hour drive to La Vega near Santiago, where we attended a little league game and got to cheer on the team! The boys unfortunately lost but played such a good game, and we enjoyed experiencing our first Dominican little league game. ⚾️
On the way back, we stopped for a delicious lunch of pico pollo (fried chicken), other fried meats, plantains, rice and beans, and of course lots of fresh juice. 🥤
After driving back to Constanza, we spent a final couple of hours with the Ark kids playing volleyball, spikeball, attending girls basketball practice, boys soccer practice, and ending the afternoon with a rowdy water balloon fight! 🎈
We said our hard goodbyes to the kids, gifting them a couple of spikeball sets, and took several pictures. 🫶
We then ended the night at a restaurant with staff members from Seed to Sower, where we got to ask them even more questions about their ministry and eat lots of fish, shrimp, plantains, and more juice!
Day 8
The team woke up bright and early for a pickup that would take them to Santiago to drop off several team members at the airport. During the drive, the group spent time reflecting on the trip together and puzzling over a few final riddles. 🚌✈️
After saying difficult goodbyes to part of the team, the remaining group traveled to Sousa by the Sea, where they reflected on their time in Constanza while enjoying delicious food and spending time swimming in the ocean and pool. The evening ended with a tasty supper and one final team recap before everyone prepared to travel home the next day. 🌊🙏
Our team had a great time partnering with Seed to Sower Ministries in the Dominican Republic! The week was filled with serving in schools, supporting local ministries, and building meaningful connections with students and families in Constanza.
Thank you to our team, donors, and supporters who made this trip possible! 💚✨ Be sure to explore recaps from all our recent trips here!
